Gene Autry: His Life and Career

by Don Cusic

Gene Autry was the first of the wildly popular singing cowboys of the thirties and forties and the man who carried the flag for western in country and western, popularizing the genre's marriage of seemingly disparate western and hillbilly influences. Beyond his highly successful recording career, his on-screen persona influenced an entire generation of American boys. Autry was also an accomplished investor and businessman, and was the longtime owner of Major League Baseball's Angels franchise. This meticulously researched biography takes the reader from Gene Autry's childhood in Oklahoma through his phenomenally successful career as a singer and actor, and covers his later triumphs in business and sports. Of particular interest is the book's detailed day-to-day treatment of Autry's performing career, with a wealth of information on each recording session and film shoot..

225 pages, Hardcover

First published March 23, 2007

Reviews

[Sally · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and mostly thorough account of Gene Autry's life, movie and recording careers, and his business success. Especially interesting on the legal battles he had with Herbert Yates, the head of Republic Studios, who was paying him less than other western singing stars whose movies weren't as popular. Although Cusic quotes from a variety of interviews with Autry and his wife, there's little depth, although other sources note his drinking and sexual exploits. The book is framed around the Autry Museum of the West, which is a splendid museum, in that it incorporates Autry's life and work, but provides a bigger context for western life, including culture, art, and Indigenous peoples.